POL 255 - The Politics of New Europe

4 credits (Spring) This course provides a survey of contemporary European politics. It examines the European geopolitical dynamics in the 21st century, the variations among European polities in political institutions, parties, electoral politics, and public policy; and the institutionalization and policy processes in the European Union. Some thematic issues are the varieties of democracies and capitalist systems, transitions to democracy, the role of the state in the economy, and enlargement and deepening of the European Union.